Wachau Valley, Austria

On the third day of our cruise with Gate 1 Travel, we woke up in the Bavarian village of Durnstein, one of the prettiest villages on the Danube. After spending an enchanting morning exploring this storybook town, we took an afternoon cruise through the scenic Wachau Valley, with incredible views of vineyards, castles, hilltop ruins and monasteries. This was one of my favorite days on the cruise!

At the top of hill are the ruins of the 12th century Dürnstein Castle.

Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned here in 1193.

There’s a well-traveled path to the top of the ruins with stunning views all across the valley.

It’s about a 20 minute walk, and it’s pretty steep, but there are several places to stop and take a break on the way up. I totally did not wear the right kind of shoes (just ballet flats) but I was totally fine taking this walk. If it’s a nice, clear day, it’s totally worth it for the views alone!! :)

One last look at Dürnstein Castle overlooking the village.

After a refreshing morning hiking and exploring Dürnstein, we were treated to a sunny afternoon cruise through the scenic Wachau Valley.

Wachau Valley is one of the most picturesque regions in all of Austria. We had incredible views of vineyards, castles, churches and hilltop ruins the entire way.

Our cruise director was extremely knowledgeable about the region, and told us all about the castles, legends, and sites we were seeing as we sunbathed on the sun deck.

I could not get over how gorgeous the weather was. Just look at those clouds!!

Our guide also told us the difference between a castle and a palace. Castles were built solely for protection of the city, and were cold, damp, and not very pleasant to live in. Palaces on the other hand were built solely for the comfort of the royal family, and were plush and extravagant.

This fortress high on a hill has one of the best preserved medieval kitchens in Austria.

Was wonderful what cruise it was as well. Read a lot about those Viking River Cruises but then again, people say bad things about them on line. Oh well. I think this blog is becoming the new Rick Steves for me, he’s like, meh man!!

Great photos of Duernstein on the Danube in the Wachau Valley! Really gives you the flavor of the beautiful villages in Austria. Just wanted to correct the introductory text which states “in the Bavarian village of Duernstein.”, which would put Duernstein in Germany. Bavaria is a state in Germany and Duernstein is in Austria.

I soooo want to go there. I have been to Germany and Austria in the past, but did not spend near enough time. I think that next time I should take a river cruise. I like the idea of being able to visit multiple sites/locations and not have to unpack more than once.

Gosh I miss Austria! I spent my junior year in college there. Lived in Salzburg and traveled all over. I’ve always wanted to take my husband there…..although now that we own a farm and have animals I don’t think we will ever be able to go. Unless we find a “farm sitter”. Is there such a thing?

Oh wow… what a beautiful place! And all the history that is steeped in those hillsides! I hope to travel to Europe with my family one day. It is definitely a dream of our’s! :) And Austria looks beautiful. Also, I did not know about the difference between a castle and a palace either! And I am a former history teacher, lol. ;)

How beautiful! You even got a great photo of the house I was born in, just below the Ruine Hinterhaus! Of course, they are not Bavarian villages; however, Spitz and Dürnstein have roots in Bavaria. Spitz in particular belonged to the abbey Niederalteich in Bavaria. The coat of arms of the town has the blue and white diamond pattern of Bavaria on it.

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